BRU--HA-HA! It's getting' old guys . Knock it off. Go ride your rollers hard for an hour and take a cold shower. Drink a hot cup of cocoa, have your mommies tuck you in and go nighty-night. Ted Ernst Palos Verdes Estates, CA
> Sign off!
>
> David Snyder
> Auburn, CA usa
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "dddd" <dddd@pacbell.net>
> To: "Classic Rendezvous" <>
> Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2005 5:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [CR]e-bay marinoni, the sultan, and a seller beware
>
>
>>I think it's always possible that a package could have been damaged or
>>opened by the USPS or whoever, and stuffed back in the box sans packing.
>>I've gotten packages back that never made it to the buyer, the address
>>label having been mutilated. In one case, an entire inner box went
>>missing from an uninsured package and I was just super-happy that I got
>>the complete item back. I notified the buyer and shipped it again and the
>>buyer was cool about it.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Galen" <gvpoole@bellsouth.net>
>> To: "Phil Sieg" <triodelover@comcast.net>
>>
>>> Phil,
>>>
>>> Thanks for the response, and for the link. By the way, those are nice
>>> looking bars. The emblems are sharp, uninjured, and the cropped photos
>>> show the detail very well. Much better than the too frequent fuzzy
>>> pictures that show the whole item. I picked up a Phillipe Professionnel
>>> handlebar off ebay for a pittance, because they had tape residue on them
>>> in the photo, and that obviously scared off all the "gotta be NOS"
>>> crowd. I spent 15 minutes cleaning them up (no polishing) and they are
>>> the most beautiful NOS-looking bars you would ever care to own. Not a
>>> mark on them.
>>>
>>> Phil, I think you got a nice bar and stem. You obviously wanted them and
>>> were willing to pay the BIN price. The absence of packing has to be an
>>> oversight, because everything Brooks has sent me has been well packed.
>>> Like a lot of busy ebay sellers, he probably waits until he gets a batch
>>> of sales to send feedback. Also, although I always refer to him by his
>>> real name, he always refers to himself as The Sultan. It may be a touch
>>> quirky, but its part of his persona, and he is one of the most
>>> identifiable and honest sellers on ebay.
>>>
>>> Clean up the bars (mineral spirits followed by isopropyl alcohol will
>>> take off most of the residue), have a beer, and have a great ride
>>> tomorrow!
>>>
>>> Best in cycling
>>> Galen Poole
>>> Jackson, MS
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Phil Sieg
>>> To: Galen
>>> Cc: Peter Jourdain ; Jay Sexton ; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>>> Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2005 6:43 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [CR]e-bay marinoni, the sultan, and a seller beware
>>>
>>>
>>> That's it! OK, here's the deal - for the last time:
>>>
>>> Here's the auction. Please note both item description and cropped
>>> photos. Also note ending date and payment date. Then check his
>>> feedback and note the positive feedback left by me on 1 September when I
>>> received the bars and stem. Yes, despite my reservations, I left
>>> positive feedback. Then check my feedback and note that despite paying
>>> his BIN price and doing so promptly, he hasn't left me any positive
>>> feedback (at least as of right before I typed this).
>>>
>>> Today I finally received an answer to the e-mail I sent on the 1st, no
>>> doubt at Jay's prompting since it came after this discussion started.
>>> It was essentially a form letter recounting all the happy customers and
>>> how his packing was never a problem. No recognition that he just threw
>>> the bars and stem in a cobbled-together box with no protective padding
>>> and hoped for the best. No "I'm sorry"; no "I was in a hurry and should
>>> have taken more care", didn't even address me by name. Just a bunch of
>>> BS trying to make it my problem and signed The Sultan. Couldn't even
>>> sign his real name.
>>>
>>> So the gist is I paid his BIN price, paid within minutes of auction
>>> close using PayPal, got no after sale communication advising me when my
>>> items had shipped or when I might expect them, received them in a state
>>> unexpected based on the description, found that they were just thrown in
>>> an empty box and mailed, have received no positive feedback though I
>>> have left same, and now receive e-mails in my inbox from list members
>>> calling me essentially a whiner and problem customer (and suggesting
>>> that maybe I'm just lying). Great. Maybe his spam filter is
>>> responsible for the e-mail SNAFU, but it doesn't account for the rest.
>>>
>>> Glad all of you have had such positive experiences. BUT I DIDN'T.
>>> Ask Greg Parker or Ray Dobbins (among others) what kind of customer I am
>>> if you think I'm making shit up. And read my feedback. But stay the
>>> hell out of my inbox with your thinly veiled character assassinations.
>>>
>>> FWIW, I've had 5 transactions since the first of August with
>>> wwcyclery. All went off without a hitch. Each item was exactly as
>>> advertised and delivered promptly properly packed. And wwcyclery always
>>> left positive feedback for me. But according to our fellow list members
>>> I'm a whiner and a liar so you probably shouldn't trust what I say.
>>>
>>> And Galen, I'm not teeing off on you. You just got the "boil over".
>>>
>>> Phil "I'll know better than to ever do this again" Sieg
>>> Knoxville, Tennessee
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Galen wrote:
>>> Phil & all,
>>>
>>> I have purchased several items from The Sultan and he has always
>>> been fairly quick to answer questions and very honest in his
>>> descriptions. Sometimes too honest, and some good items go for low bids.
>>> I once purchased a derailleur from him that had a barely perceptible
>>> crack. Not really noticeable, but enough to discourage me from using it
>>> for anything except display. He fully refunded my money, including the
>>> shipping fee, and never asked for "confirmation." Brooks is an honest
>>> guy, and your experience seems a little out of the norm for him.
>>>
>>> Galen Poole
>>> Back in power in Jackson, MS
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Sieg"
>>> <triodelover@comcast.net>
>>> To: "Peter Jourdain" <pjourdain@yahoo.com>
>>> Cc: "Jay Sexton" <jvs@sonic.net>; <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2005 12:45 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [CR]e-bay marinoni, the sultan, and a seller beware
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Peter,
>>>
>>> I e-mailed my concerns about his packaging and product description
>>> and he didn't respond to that either. If anyone thinks I'm being harsh,
>>> see the feedback for "old, gray and definitely in the way". As several
>>> list members can attest, I pay promptly at auction's end. No one has
>>> ever had to chase me down for payment.
>>>
>>> Phil Sieg
>>> Knoxville, Tennessee
>>>
>>> Peter Jourdain wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I have thrice e-mailed questions to The Sultan early
>>> on during ebay auctions. In no case did he respond. He
>>> has neat stuff, good photos and descriptions, but I
>>> make it a practice of not buying from folk who do not
>>> respond to simple inquiries. I would say he lost at
>>> least a dozen sales from me for stems, wheelsets,
>>> framesets, etc., because after three strikes I gave
>>> up. I would like to buy from him, but I'm not sure he
>>> understands who his best customers are or might
>>> possibly be.
>>>
>>> Peter Jourdain
>>> Whitewater, Wisconsin
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --- Jay Sexton <jvs@sonic.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The Sultan is a friend of mine and has not yet
>>> joined the list, depite my urgings. However, I can vouch for
>>> him. I will
>>> pass on the concerns expressed here and I am sure he will
>>> consider them. He's an okay guy.
>>>
>>> He offered the Marinoni to me and I would have
>>> bought it if it was my size. It has been used. Not
>>> maintained the best
>>> during it's life, but not crashed either.
>>>
>>> I cannot recommend doing business with e-bay seller
>>> wwcyclery/profitcycling. When I sent a question
>>> about an item for sale, he was condescending towards me in
>>> reply. I
>>> responded in as objective a manner as I could, and he then
>>> petulantly blocked
>>> me from further bidding on his items.
>>> And a reminder.....next Saturday, the 17th is the
>>> Sonoma County Vintage ride. Be there or be square! E-mail
>>> me for
>>> details if interested.
>>>
>>> Jay Sexton
>>> Sebastopol, CA
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Classicrendezvous mailing list
>>> Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.bikelist.org/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Do You Yahoo!?
>>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>>> http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________
>>> Classicrendezvous mailing list
>>> Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>>> http://www.bikelist.org/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
>>> multipart/alternative
>>> text/plain (text body -- kept)
>>> text/html
>>> ---
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Classicrendezvous mailing list
>>> Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>>> http://www.bikelist.org/